Quietly Entertaining

Shared by: Shawna Tran

Subject: Sign and Travel

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Have you ever traveled with a child? More specifically, have you ever traveled with a two year old child? It can be challenging to say the least. But it also can be very rewarding and entertaining.

The world offers many different facets to entertain your children these days. Take for instance the time my mother flew in an airplane and on both sides of her were mothers opening up their DVD players to their infants. I was shocked. At that moment, I was determined to try and entertain my child the old fashion way especially since I did not have the means of presenting my child with a portable DVD player and I had yet to introduce him to the world of television.

The problem was that I wanted this interaction to be as quiet as possible. Often my traveling would consist of flying in an airplane to see family. While many experiences in life do not carry a sense of pressure to be quiet, for me, flying in tight quarters did. With just my voice and a few books, I was able to come up with some letter, number, animal, and color games using sign language to help engage and entertain my child in quietly learning.

Flying in an airplane can some times be consumed with thoughts about “how many more minutes do we have until we land?” It can be rather intimidating. Have you ever heard the words, “your baby’s cry always sounds louder to you than it does to others?” While this may be true, no mother wants their child screaming in frustration in a place that there seems to be no way out. Especially when you are sitting with your almost two year old son on your lap, by the window, closed in by two strangers. Of course I am not saying that frustration will not come and go. That is inevitable, but quietly entertaining your child with sign language can really put both you and your child at ease.

What games can you play with books and signs? For the younger ones, the ABC signs can be really fun. Have a familiar alphabet book near by, sign a letter, and then have your child find the letter in the book. Applaud silently with the “applause” sign. This game could go on for quite some time is your child is determined to find all 26 letters. When he gets older, he can sign to you and have you find the letter. Add the sign “where” as well as “yes” and “no”, and the child will start to have more fun with the game. He may find humor in seeing you sign “no” as he purposely turns to the page with the incorrect letter. Feel free to sing along; what stranger minds a mother softly singing to her child?

Next grab a book with numbers. This same game described above can be played with numbers. Often just practicing your alphabet or numbers 1-10 without a book can be just as engaging. Choose a sign and have your child tell you what letter or number you just signed. You will be AMAZED how fast they learn.

After your letters and numbers, you cannot forget your animals and colors. For colors, sign “where” and ask your child where a certain color is on your shirt or his shirt. He may even start to ask you. Point to colors around the airplane and ask your child to sign the color. For animals, many books consist of stories about animals. Again, sign “where” and have the child find the page on which that animal can be found. What does that animal say? Even merely reading the book while signing really is a great way to help your child learn his signs and feel engaged in the story. Point to pictures in the book and teach new signs.

These are just a few ideas for quietly entertaining your child while traveling. Have fun with it. Do not forget about what is outside the window of the airplane: “water”, “clouds”, and “airplanes”. You can also learn about going “up” while leaving and coming “down” while arriving. Who are you going to visit? Is it “grandma” or your “aunt”? Make up your own games and let the learning, or shall I say flying, begin.